Operating mechanism eor time stamps



D. C. ARNOLD OPERATING MECHANISM FOR TIME STAMPS Filed Feb. 24, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l gnucuk o Git m "9,14

Aug. 18,1925. 1,550,234

I D. C. ARNOLD OPERATING MECHANISM FOR TIME STAMPS Filed Feb. 24, 1925 2 heets-Sheet 2 ure '1.

Patented Aug. 18, 1925.

"UNITED STATES DANIEL C. ARNOLD, 0F PORTLAND, OREGON.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR TIME STAMPS.

Application filed. February 24, 1925. Serial No. 11,165.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it hereby known that I, DANIEL C. ARNOLD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Operating Mechanism for Time Stamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to time clocks such as are used for stamping time cards of employees in industrial plants, stores, etc, and particularly to a. motordriven mechanism for actuating the time stamp itself.

The first object is to provide an actuating mechanism for time stamps employing a continuously operating motor, thereby making it possible to operatethe stamp at a high rate of speed which is not otherwise attainable.

The second object is to make it possible to employ a! much, smaller motor than can be done when the motor is intermittently driven.

The. third object is to provide a special form of magnetic drive for the operating mechanism.

The fourth object is to provide a centrifugal switch adapted to prevent the motor from. being started under load, or to overheat the magnetic clutch.

These, and other objects, Wvill become more apparent from the specification following as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device showing its relation to a card holder. Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of a card holder taken along the line 2-2 in Fig Figure 3 is an end elevation of the magnet housing taken along the line 33 in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a transverse section taken through the stamp mechanism of a. time clock with this device attached to its under side. Figure 5 is an enlarged end view of the cam end of the device. Figure 6 is a planet the motor magnetic clutch and worm drive, all mounted on a common base.

Similar numbers of reference refer to the same parts throughout the several views.

Referring in detail to the drawings, there is illustrated in Figure 4 the lower portion of a time clock, or rather those portions which are connected with this invention. It includes a bottom 10, a back 11, fronts l2 and cover 13 through which cover is placed a holder 14 for a time card 15. A type wheel 16 whose ribbon 17 is wound on the spools 18 and 19 is conventionally illustrated. A hammer 20 is provided with a rubber face 21 and is mounted on the pivot The hand lever 43 is hinged on the pin 24 and is provided with a hook 25 rigidly attached thereto by means of a rivet 26.

The hook 25 is adapted to engage a shoulder on the hammer 20 and to pull said hammer back and then release it so that it will be caused to strike a blow against the card 15 under the tension of the spring 27. A

spring 28 is employed to urge the lever 23 magnets 38 which are connected in series and are connected at one end thereof with the slip ring 36 and at the other end to a pole 39 of the centrifugal switch, whose movable member 40 is grounded to the housing 34 through the shaft 33 and the frame of the motor 31 to the ground wire 41. A. brush 42 rides on the ring 36 and is. carried by abrushho-lding standard 43. Across the standards 44 is mounted a shaft 45'provided with collars 46 and a clutch disk 47 slidably connected to the shaft 45 by means of the pin 48. A fiber washer 49 is placed against the face of the clutch. disk 47 to prevent residual magnetism in the magnets 38 from driving the disk 47 when not desired. On the shaft 45 is secured a worm 50 which'meshes with the worm wheel 51 on the transverse shaft 52 which journals :1- cross the standards 53 and 54. On the shaft 52 is secured a cam 55, preferably of fiber or other nonconductor of electricity.

Against the side of the cam 55 is secured a brass disk 56 having an insulation filled hole 57 forming a dead spot on the disk 56. On, the standard 54 is secured an insulatedv brush holder 58 by means of the screws 59. The brush 60 is so positioned on the holders 58 that it will ride on the disk 56 in the path of the hole or dead spot 57 and the brush 61 rides continuously on the disk 56.

A plunger 62 is mounted on the guide 63 and passes upwardly through an opening 64 in the casing 29 and the bottom 10. To the upper end of the plunger 62 is hinged a slotted link 65 whose slot 66 receives a pin 67 on the lever 23. A spring 68 on the plunger 62 under the guide 68 bears against the washer 69, which is held in position by the pin 70. On the lower end of the plunger 62 is placed a cam roller 71 which normally rests on the lobe 7 2 of the cam 55.

The card holder 14 is provided with a bottom bar 73 having secured thereto the insulated blocks 74 and 75 on each of which is placed a pair of contact arms 7 6 and 77. On the arms 77 is placed an extension 78 which passes around the bar 73 and is insulated therefrom by the covering 79.

The arms 77 are connected by means of the wire 80 to the battery 81, or other source of electrical energy, which is connected with the ground wire 41. The wire 82 con meets the wire 80 with the brush 61. The arms 76 are joined by the wire 83 to the brush 60 and by the wire 84 to the brush 42.

The arms 77 are sufiiciently flexible to permit the card 15 to depress same and close the circuit through either or both ends of the sets of arms 7 6 and 77. This obviates the danger of a. card being inserted at an angle sufficient to prevent the closing of the circuit.

The operation of the device is as follows: lVhen the clock is in use the motor 31 is operated continuously by merely closing the motor circuit. Assuming that this is now the case and a card 15 is placed in the holder 14, the card for a space of time, however short, closes the circuit through the arms 76 and 77 and through the wires 80, 83 and 84. It will be understood that at this instant the brush 60 is on the dead spot 57, as indicated in Figure 1, and no current can flow between the brushes 60 and 61. However, the current is shunted through the wires 80, 88 and 84 and through the slip ring 36 to the rotating magnet 38 causing same to rotate the disk 47, and therefore its shaft 45 and ultimately the cam 55 in the direction indicated, and to permit the plunger 62 to drop rapidly under the pressure of the spring 68 from the cam lobe 72, which action pulls down the lever 28, which lever would ordinarily be operated if the stamping operatiOn were being performed manually.

This action is practically instantaneous and also causes the brush 60 to ride 0d of the dead spot 57 and allow the current to flow between the brushes 60 and 61, and to permit the motor to continue to rotate the shaft 45 through the magnetic clutch, whether the arms 76 and 77 are held in con Owing to its continuous operation it is possible to utilize a much smaller motor than could be done if the motor had to start up every time a card was inserted, and that the speed at which it is possible to stamp the cards is thereby greatly increased.

I claim:

1. In a time stamp operating mechanism, the combination of a card stamping mechanism; a continuously operating motor; a

cam for actuating said stamp mechanism; a

clutch between said motor and cam; a card holder; and means for engaging said clutch in a manner to drive said cam when a card is inserted into said holder.

2. In a time stamp operating mechanism, the combination of a card stamping mechanism with a cam adapted to actuate same; a worm and wheel arranged to rotate said cam; a continuously operating motor; a

magnetic clutch between said motor and 11 cam; and a card holder having circuit-closing contact pomts adapted to be engaged by the weight of a card being stamped and to close a circuit through said magnetic clutch.

3. A cam actuated stamping mechanism, in combination with a continuously operating motor; a worm shaft; a magnetic clutch between said worm shaft and motor; a metallic disk on said cam having an insulated area formed thereon; a brush engaging said disk in the path of said area; acircuit-closing card holder arranged to close a circuit either directly through said magnetic clutch or indirectly across said disk during one complete revolution of said cam.

4. In a. time stamp operating mechanism, the combination of a card stamping mechanism with a cam adapted to operate same; a continuously operating motor for rotating said cam; a magnetic clutch between said motor and cam; a metallic disk on said cam having a dead spot formed thereon; a pair of brushes riding on said disk, one of which is in the path of said dead spot; a card holder adapted to close a circuit when a card is placed thereon, said circuit passing through said magnetic clutch; and a second circuit passing through said brushes across said disk and through said magnets by shunting around said circuit closers in a manner to start said cam and actuate said stamp and to move said disk until both brushes rest thereon and thereafter keep the circuit closed through said magnet until said cam has made one complete revolution.

5. In a time stamp operating mechanism, the combination of a time stamp operating cam having a metallic disk secured thereto, said disk having a dead spot formed thereon; a pair of brushes engaging said disk, one of which is in the path of said dead spot; a continuously operating motor; a magnetic clutch on said motor; a centrifugal switch on said clutch; a magnetic clutch circuit; a card holder; a spring switch on said card holder adapted to be closed by the weight of a card held therein; and a shunt circuit around said circuit closers passing through said brushes and adapted to hold said clutch circuit closed as long as one of said brushes does not rest on said dead spot.

6. A card holder for time clocks having attached to the opposite ends of its bottom a pair of switches, each of said switches closing the same circuit, in combination with a cam adapted to actuate a stamp mechanism; a worm and wheel for driving said cam; a motor for driving said worm; a magnetic clutch between said motor and worm; a circuit for said clutch closer by said card holder switches; and a shunt circuit across said switches consisting of a metallic plate on said cam having brushes riding thereon between which current can flow to said clutch at all times except during a position of rest just prior to the time when said cam shall operate said stamp mechanism.

DANIEL C. ARNOLD. 

